I honestly am not even sure where I should begin.
But first off, let me start by saying, I know not all sons and daughters will be able to relate to this as strongly as others. I only mean to give praise to the dads who actually took responsibility and parented us in the best ways they could. We can’t thank you enough for being the men that you are. Thank you for showing us what it means to be loved.
I had an extraordinary dad. One who could never understand how much his love and support means to me. With that being said, I am almost positive, that if you are reading this, then your dad was just as awesome. In today’s world, however, it isn’t unheard of for a man to leave his pregnant girlfriend or wife when he figures out how hard and scary this world can be. I don’t know about you, but that makes my stomach turn. How anyone could just up and leave their family is beyond me. So I can’t help but be so thankful for my father and the role he has played in my life these last 21 years. I feel like a lot of the time dads tend to get a bad reputation because of the select ones who choose to be deadbeats. Don’t let the media and social norms convince you all dads are just as immature as the ones who abandon their so-called “loved ones.”
I know it’s been hard, it’s not an easy job, being a dad. I know you have worked jobs and struggled just to make sure we could all live happily and stress-free. You guys never wanted us to know you were struggling or in a bind. You played it so well. Until now. Now, that we are old enough to understand, please know how grateful we are for you. Watching you work that hard for our family taught me so much about life. Although you made sure we never went without anything, you made sure we worked hard and appreciated every little thing about life as well. You taught us some of the most important lessons in life without even noticing.
So, dads, I just want to say thank you for all the times you made sure we were fed, housed, loved and cared for. Thank you for going above and beyond to make sure our lives were the best they could have been. Thank you for making sure that we made it to every single dance recital, football game, cheer practice and birthday party on time. Thank you for being our main support systems. Thank you for showing us what it means to be loved by a man. Thank you for showing us the type of man, us girls, should strive to find for our own families. Thank you for showing our brothers and your sons how to be a dad and husband. But, most of all, thank you for sticking around and doing your job as a parent. We love you so much and we would not be the same people without your guidance over the years.
